The Guardians announced Wednesday that outfielder Chase DeLauter has been placed on the 10-day injured list. He was recently diagnosed with a small fracture in his ribcage and will get some down time. In a corresponding move, Cleveland has recalled outfielder Kahlil Watson. He’ll make his major league debut the first time he gets into a game.
DeLauter suffered the fracture Saturday upon crashing into the outfield wall as he tracked a Gleyber Torres fly-ball. Cleveland also lost José Ramírez (hamate fracture) and Angel Martínez (foot fracture) in that same game.
The Guardians have yet to specify how long DeLauter will be on the injured list, but his loss subtracts one of their more talented bats from the lineup. Granted, DeLauter hasn’t shown much power since belting five homers in the season’s first seven games, but even in the eight weeks since that time, the former top prospect has posted a respectable .252/.333/.346 line with an 11.1% walk rate and just an 11.9% strikeout rate.
With DeLauter out of the picture, the 23-year-old Watson will get his first look at the big leagues. (Yes, even though this is his debut, he has technically been “recalled” in MLB terminology due to the fact that he’s on the 40-man roster and thus had to be optioned to Triple-A at the end of camp.) It’s been a winding road for the 2021 No. 16 overall pick, who was selected by the Marlins, quickly raced into consensus top-100 prospect status, and then fell off nearly just as immediately.
Watson obliterated Rookie-ball pitching in nine games following that 2021 draft selection (.394/.524/.606) but flopped with a .231/.296/.395 showing in A-ball the following season. At 19 years old, he was young for the level, but his 35.5% strikeout rate was a glaring concern. Watson hit only .206/.337/.362 in High-A the following season before being traded to Cleveland as part of the Josh Bell/Jean Segura contract swap.
As Watson struggled at the plate in the low minors, he also continued to slide down the defensive spectrum. He’s barely played shortstop since his Marlins days, and the Guardians’ early dalliances with him at second base and third base didn’t stick. Watson has played the outfield exclusively across the past two seasons, splitting time between all three spots.
On the plus side, however, the one-time top prospect’s bat has come to life. Watson hit .250/.346/.467 with 16 homers and 17 steals in 102 games between Double-A and Triple-A last year. That was enough for Cleveland to select him to the 40-man roster, thereby protecting him from the Rule 5 Draft. He’s out to a comparable .255/.370/.491 start (12 homers, 15 steals) in just 56 games this year.
It’s encouraging output, but Watson’s penchant for whiffs is still a prominent area of concern. He fanned in 27.7% of his plate appearances last season and has gone down on strikes in 28% of his trips to the batter’s box in 2026. His 71.8% contact rate in Triple-A is well shy of the 77% major league average.
Contact concerns notwithstanding, Watson will get a chance to make an impact on a suddenly injury-depleted Guardians roster. The injuries are compounded by the fact that former All-Star Steven Kwan has been one of the game’s least-impactful hitters over the past calendar year. Meanwhile, utilityman Daniel Schneemann — who’s been getting run in the outfield — has cooled after a hot start. Former top outfield prospect George Valera was designated for assignment recently. Another of the Guardians’ former top prospects, first baseman/outfielder CJ Kayfus, isn’t hitting in Triple-A.
Cleveland’s offense tends to be a concern each year, as the club rarely spends to surround Ramirez with quality bats. The sudden spate of injuries, coupled with poor performances from Kwan, Valera, Kayfus and others, was at the core of a recent piece from MLBTR’s Anthony Franco, wherein he explored the reasons that Cleveland will likely need to add an outfield bat this summer if the team hopes to remain in contention.
